the nation's largest gun lobby triggers a new round of criticism. a major break in a case of a man murdered in his mansion, narrows the focus of tracking down his killer. complete bay area news coverage starts right now, this is bay area news at seven clock. good evening. it is friday december 21st, i'm gasia mikaelian. this is bay area news at 7:00. we are on storm watch we are showing you here highway 1 that is closed along tamalas bay due to flooding. you see the swirling water reached the wheel wells. there was a close call where a huge fur tree came down just as a woman was about to get into her car. the 1foot tall tree came

crashing down on top of a carport. the homeowner was not hurt. our live team coverage includes mark tamayo, tracking the path of the latest storm but we first go where the rain is not stopping last-minute holiday shoppers. >> no, the weather is frightful here today. >> reporter: shoppers are going for it because the rain is not going anywhere. shoppers are dreaming of a dry christmas. outdoor malls are more miserable than merry. >> tea and latte. >> keeping you warm? >> stores are shelter from wind and rain. cold weather gear never looked more inviting. >> did you ever wish this mall had a roof? >> sometimes. >> reporter: the rest of the year it is pleasant outside. our retailers worry now -- >> it will catch up. >> reporter: the store manager says gift hunters who waited for better weather have thrown up their hands and umbrellas

and came in. >> the bad weather did keep them home but they are here and they are shopping, the parking lots are full, and the restaurants are full. >> reporter: elsewhere in the north bay today, high winds brought down a power line that gave utility crews trouble. wind advisories have been if effect for tall vehicles on bay area bridges, of course, trucks with a trusted duty keep to their rounds. >> the weather is killing us but it has to get done and customers have to get their boxes and people have to have their christmas presents. >> reporter: with every break in the rain, they hope for a strong retail business. a plush blanket for a cat? >> well, i did not buy anything for my boyfriend yet, but i will. [ laughter ] >> reporter: after the cat? >> after the cat, that is right. >> reporter: how close are you to finished? >> this is it. i am wrapped up now i kick back and relax and enjoy. >> reporter: that is the finish line. as far as lingering weather

problems we have gotten word of 1,000 customers without power right now up in santa rosa. otherwise we are enjoying a welcomed break, temporarily. back to you. well, two extremes of the rainfall today. heavy rain for the northern half of the bay area, a few light showers for the southern half. everybody bike picks up more rain through the weekend. right now, storm tracker 2, here is the wider perspective in northern california. snow showers, significant snow in fact heading out towards the sierra. right now as you can see, we take a closer look, scattered rain showers towards the mount ans, and around the hills, lingering rain. we will shift to the maps up and out towards discovery bay. brentwood, organized rain through the oakly area and the north bay scattered showers right now. things are changing as we head into early saturday morning. coming up, the timing of two more strong storms impacting

the weekend and how much rain to expect for your neighborhood. >> now, the wet weather has people seeking a place to be dry. workers at the regional reception center in san jose say they have 250 beds but when the weather gets rough they open up space for 100 more people. >> it is wonderful it is here. a good facility. a warm safe place to get in out of the rain. >> the highway patrol warped about the dangers of slick roads especially for drivers in the santa cruz mountains. on the shoreline the storm surge drew onlookers to enjoy 8- 10 foot swells. wet and windy weather put a damper on air travel in and out of san francisco today. at one point the average delay was up to 1 1/2 hours. 130,000 travelers are expected to pass through sfo today. had well, to say it is snowing in the sierra is an understatement. the wild weather caused a back up along interstate 80 today. at times there were whiteout driving conditions and parts of

that roadway were losed down in plaser county. it does not look like the winter weather will be easing up any time soon. another 2-5 feet of snow is expected to fall by sunday. in the midst of all of the stormy weather a pair of roads shutdown by massive sinkholes reopened today. the storms earlier this month caused a 15-foot deep hole on mountain view drive in lafayette. the street was set to reopen christmas day. work was completed ahead of schedule. the city contractor credited cc meyers and the subcontractors. >> came out, worked nine days, 24 hours a day. seven-days a week. now we have a complete history. >> cc meyers is known for carrying out major project ebgts on time and on budget including bridge and freeway repairs. also this afternoon. crews reopened a street in veracruz. the crews carried out the massive $12 million project and had to work around a major

waterline serving half a million people. nearby businesses said the opening could not come soon enough for them. go to ktvu.com for more storm watch coverage. we will link you to live storm tracker radar. and a link for up tates on flight delays. it has been one week since the horrifying rampage at a connecticut elementary school. people paid tribute to the victims. the nuns rang bells and lit candles as they read the names of the 20 children and six adults who were killed last friday morning. around the nation people paused to remember them. the nra had an announcement. >> reporter: from the new york stock exchange to south florida

to the fashion's capitol. >> we gather as religious leaders to compheplerate the one week marker of the shootings in connecticut -- commemorate the one-week marker of the shootings in connecticut. >> reporter: it marks one week since the shooting that killed 20 children and 6 adults. as investigators continue to hunt for a motive as to why 20- year-old adam lanza killed his mother and later opened fire at sandy hook, the nation's most prominent gun rights lobbyying group broke their sigh leps. the rifle association argued in a statement that the nation's schools should have armed protection. >> the only way to stop a monster from killing our kids is to be personally involved and invested in a plan of absolute protection. the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. >> reporter: education secretary, duncan, in his first

public remarks since the shooting says the fashion's overall gun policy needs a change. >> one disturbed young man was mad at the world. i can not help but wonder what he might have done or how it would have been different if he did not have access to those guns. president barack obama observed his own moment of silents days after his call for a panel to address gun policy. hoping no community has to endure newtown's heartbreak again. in washington, ktvu channel 2 news. >> shame on the nra! >> reporter: code pink protesters disrupted that rifle association press conference in wash wash twice. demonstrators held up signs saying nra, blood on your hands and the nra is killing our kids. critics are blasting today's response about making schools safer. ahead in 9 minutes bay area educators tell fuss more guns would -- teleus more guns would

better protect our students -- tell us more guns would better protect our students. a twist on the gun buy back next month. in addition to purchases guns from residents authorities will buy back violent video games. >> you just don't need to have hathat kind of carnage exposed to our young people. and, it -- it will open up the dialogue, i hope, with families to know what is going on. >> the marin gun and buy back is set for january 15th. martin luther king junior's birthday. the video games will be destroyed. in the south bay, the police say they arrested a woman with connection to a deadly home invasion robbery. the authorities say 22-year-old raven dixon was arrested on tuesday on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder along with drug and prostitution charges. venture capitollist was found dead and his wife was beaten at their home november 30th. the police say they believe the robbery was not random and that

a suspect or suspects had a connection to the victims. san jose police say a man was stabbed to death at an insurance company party early this morning. it was reported before 3:00 a.m. the police say the unidentified man was pronounced dead at a hospital. investigators say it happened during a party held at the business. officers are interviewing witnesses to identify the suspect and the motive. this is the 45th homicide of the year. sanders elementary school went on lockdown this morning while the police searched for two people seen with a gun. they believe the two were involved in an armed robbery yesterday. about two dozen officers surrounded a home near the school where the suspects were holed up. one person was taken into custody. a federal appeals court in san francisco late today blocked the new ban on gay conversion therapy. the first of its kind, california law, passed in september. prohibits controversial therapy that aims to turn gay teenagers straight. it was supposed to go into effect january 1st.

today, a judge panel issued an emergency order putting the law on hold until it can hear full arguments on the issue. released today, -- at least today, the stock market did not like peeking over the fiscal cliff. shoppers looking for one thing and one thing only, yep, the shoes. coming up, the timing of two very strong heavy rainbands that'll move in this weekend and your christmas forecast

congress and president barack obama are heading into christmas break without an end

to the fiscal cliff. >> this is something within our capacity to solve. it does not take that much work. we just have to do the right thing. >> because of the political divide in the country, because of the divide here in washington, trying to bridge these differences has been difficult. >> republican house speaker said it is up to president barack obama and senate democrats to draft a deal. growing pessimism about a deal getting tk-b sent stocks into a tail spin. the dow suffered triple digit losses and the nasdaq took a hit falling 29. california's unemployment rate is below 10% for the first time in almost four years. the latest unemployment rate dropped to 9.8% in november. down from 10.1 in october. jobless rate has not been this

low since jan of 2009. some economists predicted california's unemphroeupl rate would remain in double digits through 2013. the fiscal cliff, mixed with lower unemployment and adding the mood with shoppers is leaving experts baffled by the direction of the economy. our consumer editor explains how the coming days could be critical. consumer spending ins just released for november shows spending at a 3-year high. that was last month. last month, business investment in long-lasting machinery jumped more than expected. employment is up in all but five states. but, today's critical consumer confidence numbers are at a 5- month low. todays stock market closed down triple digits. >> people don't like uncertainty. there is a possibility of something happening. you don't want to hang your hat on what happens in washington. >> the prospect of huge tax increases and spending cuts is clearly raising the amount of uncertainty and the amount of risk that is in the economy.

>> i think they will settle it. but i think the taxes are still going to go up. >> reporter: for the overall economy the shopping days are ahead of us including three post christmas weeks where people look for bargains. >> i am cautious how i spend now but i can imagine that, you know, spending if something like this happens that it will definitely effect how i spend my money. >> reporter: that worries consumer psychiatrists. >> the drop in consumer confidence has everything to do with the fiscal cliff. what we are seeing is that consumers really don't have a sense of trust. that they are safe. wondering about the future. >> so, the fiscal cliff remains a threat but still improbable. not certain. but that time is running out, too. tom vacar, back to you. >> chevron corporation is moving 800 jobs from the bay area to houston, texas. it involves half of the staff

in san ramon. they are scheduled to move between now and 2015. the oakland a's are not moving any time soon. the l.a. times, the owner says he will not move the team for 5 years. in the letter to the commission he proposed an agreement that would delay a move to san jose until 2018. the a's lease at the coliseum expires after the 2013 season. the quest for the latest air jordan sneakers turned tense this morning. >> they took had this video saying the mall in newark this morning. shoppers say that a security guard at thehoe store was rushed by the crowd when he started handing out tickets to people in line. the police were call inside to keep an eye on the situation. the air jordan sneakers retail for there 185 but they can sell for hundreds more on-line. a number of retailers are keeping their doors open longer

so shoppers can take care of the christmas list. toys 'r us launchedda launched a around-the-clock marathon. president barack obama nominated senator john kerry to be the next secretary of state. the president said that kerry's entire life has prepared him for the job. the 69-year-old is chair of the senate foreign relations committee and a decorated veteran. the president says he expects the 5-term senator will win easy confirmation, hillary clinton could not attend ther is a moan. she is recovering from the stomach flu and a concussion from a fall. back to our continuing coverage right now by the rifle association that an armed guard should staff every school in the nation. ann rubin tells us what parents in the bay area think about. >> armed guard in every school. that is what the nra believes will help stop future shooting tragedies. those that study gun violence

say they are not sure. >> there is no dataa on what the effect would be. >> reporter: for many schools this is already reality. oakland, san francisco, san jose unified have armed police at schools. so, does the west contra costa unified school district and members say it appears to make a difference. >> i would say it is a mixed feeling. but, the perception is in the community to have none. >> it is monthat he could be spent on educational programs. >> we have taken this approach t. it comes at a cost. it comes at a steep cost when you talk about loss of supporting proms for music, the arts. >> reporter: and parents are not sure it is a price they want to pay. so far the proposal to have armed guards everywhere is met with mixed reviews. >> my position is no guns for everybody. >> the guns are not the issue it is our people who are having the problems. >> putting people with guns

around our kids, not helpful. and i think it sends the wrong idea to the kids. >> officials say they can not imagine how they would ex expand it to all 50 schools in their district. today, a beauty salon treated people who lost a child to violence. they offered 20 woman free beauty treatments including hairstyling, manicures here and pedicures. those that took parted it was wonderful to enjoy a few hours of relaxation. and lots of smiles at mother brown's dining room as santa himself handed out toys to hundreds of boys and girls. there were enough toys for 2,000 children. the same number given out last year. santa is going to be busy at glide memorial church with the give away there. even the leaders are

calling it truly extraordinary. the generous gift for one zoo and the mystery behind it. wet weather will stick around at least for the weekend. we are tracking the current storm and even more rain for holiday shoppers. look at you guys with your fancy-schmancy u-verse high speed internet. you know, in my day you couldn't just start streaming six ways to sunday. you'd get knocked off. and sometimes, it took a minute to download a song.

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route 62, known as kevelo road. the colvert under the road got clogged. the semitractor trailer barely made it across the road. the rear axle was torn from the truck but the driver is okay. the first to get hit in the north, according to our meteorologist, not for long. >> this is a lot more rain on the way, gasia for saturday and sunday. as we are talking about the storms, scheduled to move into the renal onfirst thing tomorrow morning. heavy rainfall could be waking you up. right now, lingering rain showers. and we will show you this down to the south bay. rain showers in the santa cruz mountains and watching thea activity towards the central portion of the bay. the middle part of the bay and towards the east bay. fremont, activity out towards the padre parkway and union

city. moving the maps around and out towards san ramoan and antioch and discovery bay. it this is the one organized area of rainfall. out to around the bethal island as well. the rain showers have been decreasing somewhat. a few scattered shoufrss s -- showers to the north bay. one sellout of nap a. as far as the forecast. here it is. multiple storms -- napa. as far as the forecast. here it is. the multiple storms coming in. the first one today, the second one moving in tomorrow and then the third one sunday. for the weekend, rainfall, heaviest rainfall for the morning hours, sunday, the strongest storm. rainfall expectations could be 3-1/2 inches, around the bay itself, 1-2 and the santa cruz mountains, 3 inches, keeping an eye on the river levels up there and the creek from the the streams because they have been rising already and that trend will continue into the weekend. a winter storm warning in mace

for the slopes and the sierra until 9:00 on sunday. 2-5 feet. i will plan on the delays and possible road closures, keep that in mind heading to the sierra this weekend. heavy rain tomorrow morning at 5:00. then, more breaks in the action, not completely dry. another round of showers by 12:00 and then more breaks by 3:00. the next storm developing off shore, that moves in by sunday morning. the temperatures for tomorrow afternoon mainly in the 50s, heaviest rain for the morning hours and still scattered rain into the afternoon. and a look ahead. monday, it will be dry. a chance of a shower by christs mas day. gasia? >> thank you. the oakland zoo got quite a early christmas present today. somebody donated $1 million to the zoo. it came in a letter from the san francisco foundation which said the donor wanted to remain anonymous. it can be used for any general purposes, the money will have a huge impact as it improves exhibits and adds more animals. thank you for trusts ktvu

channel 2 news. we will see you the next time news breaks. our storm watch coverage continues, tonight, team coverage for you as the next storm heads into your area. keep in mind we are always here for you. "it tmz" is up -- "tmz" is up next here on tv36